franklybasic

[franklybasic]

27/2 ~ 13/3

Hey guys. Wow it's been a long time. Just about 2 weeks. The reason I've been MIA for so long is because I've actually been sick...with mono. Sooo, that means that I really haven't been up to much except for sleeping as much as possible! That's why I haven't posted...cause I haven't had anything TO post. But with me getting better and holidays coming up and vacation coming up soon, hopefully I'll have more to post. As for my sickness, i guess I can update you on that. It was super rough: my lymph nodes were swollen to the point where they were bulging out of my neck, my throat was so swollen it hurt to swallow and was hard to breathe. I still had symptoms of the cold, so that made it hard, and I really wasn't feeling good. I could barely eat anything and if I did (which was generally soft food like apple sauce) I really couldn't keep it down. Practically I was dead. But thankfully to medicine, lots of juice and lots of rest, I've gotten a LOT better and have gotten back to doing school and learning and being myself. Soooo, that's about all I have, nothing new and exciting yet, but more will come with time. Sorry for taking so long to post, but I literally did not have the energy to even get out of bad, let alone type anything. Hope you're all having a great day/night, and I'll talk to you soon!!! Byeeee!!!

[franklybasic]

22/2 ~ 26/2

Hey guys. Sorry I’ve kind of been MIA, but a lot has kinda been going on. A majority of that was the trip, which I will get back into telling you about. So basically the next day after the Concentration Camp tour, we did a tour of the city and stopped at various stops, basically learning the history of the city. It was a great tour, except for it had started to down pour!!! Plus is was cold! So after the tour we both basically just went home, ordered in and tried to get warm. I wish I could say that was the better tour of the two, but the fact is it wasn’t. I mean, it was a good tour, but we really only learned the history of places that we stood at, not really actually see anything (which I thought we were). For example, Hitlers bunker, yea I thought we were actually going to see it, and it turns out it was turned into a parking lot for an apartment complex. So really we didn’t actually see any of the things we were learning about. The only thing we actually saw was part of the Berlin Wall still standing, and a marking point as to were it divided East and West. Plus, it was also kind of hard to hear since it was windy and freezing! But, we still had fun (before we both got sick). The next day we really didn’t do too much, we went souvenir shopping, took a nap (because again, the cold and rain) and then we were going to go eat at this one place, but came to find out it was closed for the month of February. So we just decided to stay in and keep warm. Overall though, it was an amazing trip! I didn’t get many pictures (like I said, most of it was just us learning the history) but I still got some, so hopefully I’ll be uploading those to my Facebook very soon. The city was really pretty too. They had a very distinctive look to them. Like when I traveled to Italy and Hungary, you can tell the differences between the countries from their buildings. Italy had a lot of white buildings with orange roof tops, Hungary had a lot more gray and industrial looking complexes, France is a bit more off whiteish, along with a lot of brick, and as for Germany, a lot of the colors were either oranges or yellows. It’s really interesting to see the differences in buildings. And even though there was an obvious language barrier, my friend and I still managed to get around and be able to order food just fine, and a lot of the german people that we had to talk to were very nice about it (even if their english was very little). I’d definitely go back again if I ever have the chance to (and hopefully in the summer time so then I could actually get my beer and my pretzel haha). But that was basically our trip: cold, wet, but fun! And then as for Friday and Saturday, it was basically travel day: left the airbnb at 3am, got on our flight and stayed in a hotel for the whole day, then Saturday we left the hotel at 3am (again) and then we took a bus and got back into Rennes around 6/7 or so. I love traveling, but the actual traveling part is the pain. It just takes so long, and by the time I’m on the plane/bus, I already just want to be home. But we made it smoothly, so that’s all that matters (even if we’re both sick). So that’s about it, I’m probably going to take one more sick day and just rest as much as I can before I throw myself back into french, but I’ll keep you updated on how the classes go. Really time is flying by a lot faster now than it did in the first semester. Like, we’re already done with our first break! Now we just have all of March, one week in April, then two weeks off in April, then the last week of April, and then half of May, and that’s it. It sounds like a lot, but when you really look at it, it’s not that much time left. So, here’s to making the most of it. Thank you for sticking around, again, I apologize for not posting (I’ve been trying to get as much sleep and rest from traveling and being sick as much as possible) and I’ll blog soon! Bye!

[franklybasic]

20/2 ~ 21/2

Hey guys!!! Sorry I didn't post yesterday, but yesterday was super busy. But let me fill you in on yesterday and today's adventure! So yesterday was the day that we go into Berlin, and the trip to get to Berlin was kinda hectic (but we did it!). So, we took this bus called "Flxbus" (don't know if that's spelled right) but basically you can look up dates and times on where you wanna go and take this bus, and it'll give you different times for the date you wanna go. It's essentially like buying an airline ticket, but for buses. Anyways, so we took this at 11:10am on Sunday, and it took us till around 8pm to get to the Paris airport. What we had intended to do since our flight wasn't until 8am the next morning, we were just going to stay in the airport overnight. Well, if any of you know how I feel about Sunday's over here, you'll know that I hate them, because everything's closed on Sunday...apparently including an international airports as well. We were lucky enough to catch the last metro out of the airport before it closed and were basically stuck outside. So we managed to get a hotel room for one night, and then the next morning we checked out and headed to our flight. Which was the next fun part. I'm shocked to say that the German airport was worse than the France one. I personally didn't have any problems, but my friend did, and here's why: not only did she have to take off her cardigan (which was her jacket) and only had on a tank top underneath, because they didn't just let her wear it even though it's not a jacket, but, when they were patting her down they were asking about a censor on her leg because she's diabetic. They pulled her aside and were very forceful, she couldn't explain to them that it was for diabetes before they basically ripped it from her leg trying to feel what it was. And here's the real kicker: they didn't speak English. You would think that they would, but nope. Sooo she was not too happy about that. Buuut eventually we made it into Berlin, took a taxi to where our airbnb was, and then since we couldn't get into our airbnb until 8pm, and we had landed at 12pm, we basically just explored. We found 2 really great cafés, one of which I tried a very traditional cake, and the other had amazing coffee, that just felt like melted butter drinking, but we also found this really great Japanese restaurant as well. Then we just kind of walked around until we were able to meet the guy for our airbnb and be let in. Our bnb is absolutely incredible! It's so big, we have our own kitchen (it's kinda small) our own living room, bedroom, big bathroom! And it's just ours for the whole week. The guy who owns it doesn't stay with us, so basically we have a really nice apartment to ourselves. And that's about it for Monday Today: so today we decided to take a tour of Sachsenhausen Concentration camp, and the tour was 6 hours long! We took a taxi from our bnb to where we were suppose to meet our group, and then off we went (a lot of the time was travel, so really it wasn't that bad). But the tour itself, was just wow. It's one thing when you hear about the Holocaust in class and stuff like that, but to actually stand and witness where thousands have suffered tragically and died is a whole other surreal experience. It didn't really help that it was cold and windy too. While there, we learned a lot of the history behind it, and saw some of the things like the grounds itself, the bunks, the kitchen, the infirmary, and the gas/killing building (although thankfully that was only the foundation, and there was no actual room). But it was just incredible to be able to walk through such a historical thing. I don't know why, but I've always been fascinated with WW2 and the Holocaust, so this was very astounding to go on. But, it had to come to an end, and by the end, my friend and I were so tired, that when we finally got home, we had just enough energy left to eat, and then we napped for 2 hours. We walked so much today that my muscles are sore. But, that's about it. Tomorrow's plan is to take another tour of Berlin's attractions such as Checkpoint Charlie and Hitlers Bunk, which won't be as long as today's tour, only 4 hours, so afterwards we're going to go to this place my parents suggested (SHOUT OUT TO THE RENTS) that are known for great pretzels and beer (because you can't say you've been to Germany without at least having those) and hopefully finding a souvenir shop so we can get sweatshirts! Pictures will be posted when I get back to Rennes, because I've been taking them on my camera so they're of the upmost quality (so then I don't get yelled at by my mother) so watch out for those. Thank you all for reading, and I'll catch up with you tomorrow. Bye!!!

[franklybasic]

17/2 ~ 19/2

Hey guys! So sorry I haven’t posted in a couple days, but i’ll just get right into it. Friday wasn’t too bad, I can’t remember a lot from Friday, but I only had one class, and thankfully it went by pretty fast. I think Friday I just stayed in and relaxed. And yesterday wasn’t much different either, just a relaxing day. That’s because today I actually leave for my vacation today! My friend and I finalized these plans just a few weeks ago and finally got everything done yesterday (that sounds bad, but we’re lucky that we were able to get so lucky!) We leave today on a bus to Paris, and then Monday we fly out from there stay in BERLIN! I have been so excited to go to Germany for so long, I don’t know why, but i’ve just wanted to go so badly, and the fact that it’s actually happening is so exciting!!! We’re thinking of going to museum visits, go to see the zoo/aquarium, and of course, go on a bar crawl (because you can’t say you’ve gone to Germany without having a beer). So this next week, I’m going to try and keep you all up to date on what we did so it’s more recent and I’ll actually be able to remember all the stuff that happened in the day, I even downloaded the Tumblr app onto my phone so then I could (because I’m not bringing my computer with me) so yea. So I’ll keep you posted on my adventures, and thanks for reading. HERE WE COME BERLIN!!!!!

[franklybasic]

12/2 ~ 16/2

Hey guys! I’m so sorry I haven’t posted in a while, I’ve been such a busy bee lately, and so tired that I don’t remember until the next day! But anyways, let’s jump right into it. Monday was not too good for me. So in the morning what I normally do (because Monday’s are the days that I have my 8h30 class) so my friend and I got coffee (because it’s the only time that we can walk to school together), so we had gotten our coffee, went to class, and then decided that we were gonna hang out before my next class. Well after class, she started to get sick, so I went to her house and helped her through and what not, and then all of a sudden, I started to not feel good, which was super weird. At first, we thought it was food poisoning from the food we both had the night before, but then after a while, we really thought about it: that morning we had said to each other that the coffee definitely tasted different than it usually does, which is when it hit us that it must’ve been the coffee. So long story short: I stayed home all day because I did not feel good. So Tuesday comes around, and I don’t think I really did a lot Tuesday, all I did Tuesday was that it was Valentines day, so I got myself cookies, so that was nice. Although, I did get my friend flowers and gummie bears, and she almost started crying she was so happy. But I did have a dinner at my directors house with all of us Naz kids, which was actually pretty nice, but that’s about it. Shout out to my Poops and my Dad, they’re the only Valentines I’ll ever need because they are the only men in my life who will always love me, no matter what, so Happy Valentines to both of you, much love from this side of the ocean. Yesterday wasn’t too bad either I don’t believe. It was just long, because the thing is that I have a class from 10h45-12h45 and then have to wait all till 4 for my next class, so it’s kinda a bummer. But I did spend it with my friends, so that wasn’t too bad. It was actually quite nice. And then there was today, my busy day. Today I couldn’t really focus at all today, and I don’t know why it was, maybe it’s because this break is coming up, which I do have more news about. So i might be going with 2 of my friends, most likely to Germany, Berlin which I am completely stoked about! I don’t know why, but I have been wanting to go to Germany so badly lately. And why not, to be able to say that I was in Berlin, how cool would that be? We can go see the wall or go see the Zoo. Either way, we’re still planning, and you’re probably thinking, “Emma, doesn’t it start Saturday?” and yes, yes it does. But it doesn't matter really because no matter what happens, we’re traveling anyways, so blah. Oh! I forgot about Sunday, but I don’t really remember Sunday that well, it was probably the same thing I always do: have lunch with my host family and then sleep, because...I like sleeping. But yea, so this week has been flying by and that actually makes me really happy!!! Also, for today, big shoutout to my Dad because he’s getting hip surgery to replace those old bones so he can boogey some more (he’ll probably have some smart remark back to that, but whatever). So yea, that’s about all I’ve got, I’ll make sure to message before I go on vacation to update on the plans, and hopefully will blog among the vacation as well. Thank you all so much for being patient, I’m so sorry it took me so long. I haven’t been taking naps lately (which it sounds ridiculous, but I really can’t function without a nap), so that’s why i’ve been getting tired at night and forgot to post. But this was a big one, so I hope it’s at least a good read (or decent, I’d be fine with decent too). Thanks all for reading, and I’ll see you later. Bye!!!

[franklybasic]

8/2 ~ 11/2

Hey guys. I know I haven’t posted in a while, this week has just been kind of a hard week on not only me, but my friends who needed me as well, thus the ominous post last time. But as the days continued on, the days got better so let’s just jump right into it. After Tuesday, I really didn’t do anything Wednesday, just because Tuesday had been so emotionally draining that I needed a day to relax myself and just get my stuff together. So there’s not much to tell about that. Thursday was my busy day, which actually went a lot faster than I thought it would go, and it was a super easy day too. Thursdays are always my hardest days just because not only are my classes in the afternoon, but also the fact that I have a 3 hour class. Mind you, at my college, usually (that I know of) we don’t have 3 hour classes. To be honest, I don’t even know if we have 2 hour classes. Beside the point. I’m not used to having to sit there for so long and focusing, which gets even harder when that class starts at 1:45 and you go till 5 in the afternoon. Which for those of you who know me very well, that cuts into my nap time, meaning I’m far more exhausted then I would normally be. But I managed and everything was fine. That night my friends and I went out for the first time in a while, so it was nice to just let loose and have fun. Friday wasn’t much either, I only had the one class that TAKES FOREVER!!!! You would think one 2 hour class would be fine, just like every other 2 hour class I have, but I think the fact that it’s on a Friday and at 1:45 in the afternoon, is what makes it move so SLOWLY. It sucks (no worries mom, i still bear through it). So after that class, I didn’t go out because I was just too tired from the night before, so I decided to stay in and watch Netflix (my unfortunate favorite past time). And then yesterday I went out to lunch with one of my friends. We go to the same place so often, they already know our orders...I don’t know whether that’s sad or impressive, but I love it anyway. Not only is their food cheap, but also the fact that it’s so good, and especially with the limited amount of time I have in-between classes to get food, it’s really convenient. But anyways, so my friend and I got lunch yesterday, which I really enjoy doing. Just sitting down, catching up or just talking about whatever, and passing the time with someone you like to hang around with, it’s just an awesome feeling. So we did that, then I just relaxed until they came over later for when we were going to go out. And that’s about all that’s happened. We went from Tuesday being an absolute mess, Wednesday being dead, Thursday making it through, Friday surviving, and then Saturday back on our feet. The good news is it’s finally stopped raining (watch, I probably just jinx myself saying that) but it still hasn’t stopped being cold, which I really wish it would because as much as I love bundling up, I only love it for so long. Welp, that’s about all i’ve got, I didn’t write about today because I haven’t even really begun today, all I did so far was clean my room and that’s about it, so I’ll probably post tonight. Thank you all so much for reading, and I will see you later!  

[franklybasic]

7/2

Hey guys. I really wish that I had an exciting story to tell you today, but unfortunately due to today’s events (that I will not discuss on here because of personal reasons) I really don’t have anything for you. So if not tomorrow night, then at least by Thursday there will be a story for you to read. But thank you though for still checking in, and I will see you all tomorrow. Bye!

[franklybasic]

6/2

Hey guys! What’s up! I hope you’re all having a good day, if not, then I’m really sorry. Monday’s stink, and here’s why: I have an 8h30 class in the morning. It was so hard for me to actually get out of bed this morning that I set more than one alarm. I think I hit snooze at least twice. Oh well. I was really dreading that today would take forever because of the fact that it’s a Monday, but thankfully it flew by, which actually took me by surprise. Classes weren’t that hard today, although, I did draw an apple in art class (it’s not a very good one, but it’s better than having to take notes) so there’s that. It’s raining...again. But other than that, not really a lot has gone on today. I have a lot to do tomorrow, I have a whole to do list because I only have Lab tomorrow, and that’s not till 4 in the afternoon, so that gives me some of the morning to do some of the things that need to get done (and hopefully take a nap before class, but most likely not). So that’s about it for my day, again, not very interesting, but hopefully tomorrow there will be a better story, or at least more for me to post than just school. But yea, so I’ll check back in with all of you later! Bye!!!

[franklybasic]

2/2 ~ 5/2

Hey guys! Sorry I didn’t post, I was just swept up in the week and the weekend and just being a busy bee. Let me just get right into it. So basically all that I had Thursday was just class, after class, after class. It was just so exhausting, that by the time that it was the last class, I just wanted to go sleep until the next day. But I didn’t. I went out that night with my friends for the first time since school has started back up, and it was just so much fun!! Then Friday came around, which really wasn’t that bad. Although I will say, I only had one class, and it was in the afternoon, so I thought to myself  “Oh, that’s not too bad, it’ll be super quick because it’s only one class”. It went on FOREVER it seemed! I would look at my phone and literally only a minute had passed by. It was exhausting. But then it was over and I was able to go home and take a nap. That night I also went out with my friends. It seems like I go out a lot, but I promise you it’s just because there’s not a lot to do here besides the obvious: going out. But again, I was with all of my friends, and it was just so much fun. And again, same thing happened yesterday: just hanging around with my friends until we went out later that night. And now I’m here, on Sunday, were my friends and I just hung out and watched movies. It doesn’t seem like I’ve written a lot here, about the past four days, but that’s kind of because it’s the same thing: get up, go to classes, eat, go out, repeat. There’s not a lot to do here. But I will say that I have noticed (If i already haven’t said this) that the classes that I’m taking, although in the afternoon (which I really don’t like that, I would much rather just have all of them in the morning and just get them over with) are a lot more challenging  than the ones I had last semester since I went up a level. Which I actually like, it’s more work and effort that I have to put in, and although sometimes I don’t like it, I know that it will be better for me in the long run. I already kind of miss home, which I know is bad, but it’s just kind of hard when you want to talk with your loved ones, but you have to wait till it’s basically 3pm over here because they’re up and moving at 9am over there. Plus, there’s also the fact that I kinda miss just being able to live in a dorm. Like, I love my host family, they’re super nice and amazing people, but I do miss having that freedom of just coming and going whenever I please without having to check in with any one and stuff like that. But, oh well. I don’t like how it’s been raining, that’s making me mad. It’s literally rained every single day here since Thursday. It sucks, especially when we do want to go out, it just makes everything wet. Not fun. Welp, that’s about all I’ve got, I’m sure that I’ll have more coming up because of break coming up and school and just people. So thank you so much for reading, and I will see you all tomorrow. Bye!!

[franklybasic]

1/2

Hey everyone! Happy first day of February!! So I’ll just jump right into it. Today was definitely a lot more straining on my brain. This morning I had Civilization, which I actually have with a teacher I had last semester, and then I had Oral Expression too. This mornings class was easy, because basically all we talked about was Fashion. Literally, that’s all we did, which was the best, because i’ve actually started to notice that while i’ve been here, my fashion choices have started to change a lot. Not only that, but i’ve also started wearing more jewelry and actually putting together my outfits, which is something that I really didn’t do before coming here. Not the point though. So morning class was easy. It was the afternoon one that killed me. So I basically got done with my morning class at 12h45, which isn’t that bad, but it’s the fact that I had my other class at 16h (4pm) which meant that there was no point in going all the way back to my house, just to have to turn back around for class. Normally (and this’ll sound silly) but I actually take naps in the middle of the day, and here’s my reason why: I’m a big person, and use a lot of energy quickly, so therefore take naps to kind of “recharge” in a sense. Plus, I love sleeping, so there’s that. So the fact that I couldn’t do that made me exhausted. And the other part of it was that the next class was Oral, which meant that we were talking in French the whole entire class. Now, I’m not saying that I didn’t like talking, because I’m actually growing to be less afraid of it (I know that sounds weird since that’s kinda the whole reason why I’m studying here, but what i mean is i’m more confident in my speaking, or at least making mistakes and learning from them) it’s just that when you have to rapidly translate back and forth, sometimes to the point where you don’t even realize you’re trying to translate, can get exhausting. Especially due to the fact that I did go up in a level, the intent is more compound and heavier, so you’re expected to pick up on things a lot faster than I did before. Basically, it’s like how I had to adjust here, except just faster. So that’s also why I was exhausted, and let’s be real: no one wants a class that goes from 4-6 in the afternoon, that’s just punishment right there. But on the plus side, I think my speaking with french is getting better, and especially my comprehension is getting way better too because of it. Also the fact that my friend is helping me too, so far we’ve only texted in french, but it helps because then I can see my mistakes and he corrects me if I’m wrong. But overall, not a bad day. I just really hate this rain, and I wish that it would stop sometime soon. I like rain...if i’m inside and don’t have to walk to the metro to get to school, but since that’s not the case, then it just makes everything wet. Although, it is getting warmer around here, which is nice because then I don’t have to bundle up at much. But yea, that’s basically my exhausting day for today. Oh! Although I did see some of my friends whom I haven’t seen from last semester, which was really nice to talk to them and catch up with them. But yea, so I gotta go sleep now, tomorrow’s my long day, and I know I’m gonna need to get a coffee to at least get me through the first half of tomorrow. Thanks for reading and tune in tomorrow. Love you all!!

[franklybasic]

31/1

Hey everyone!!! How’s everyone doing? I know I said yesterday how I would post every single day about my stories and what not, which I still am doing, but today’s story is kinda boring. Because I didn’t have any classes today (because normally I would’ve had lab, but it’s the first week of classes, so they don’t do that) then I didn’t really have to do anything. Although, the thing I did like doing today was going out to lunch with my friend. I always like going out to lunch with her, because even though we don’t see each other 24/7, when we go out to lunch, we catch up on what we did the day before, or if there’s any drama, and just other random stuff too. Plus, we always go to our favorite place, which makes it all the more better. But after lunch, all I really did was go home and relax, which is fine somedays I like to just have down time, especially when it’s rainy. It rained again today, which is really throwing me off, because by now there would at least be a mountain of snow on the ground, but no. Instead, all they get is rain, which i like...if i’m inside watching a movie. But having to go out in it, A) there’s nothing to do when it rains, and B) it gets everything wet, and it just isn’t fun. But, oh well. That’s really about it for today. I know it’s not much, but in the days to come there’ll be more, since I have classes tomorrow, Thursday will be my busy day of classes, Friday I have classes and a birthday celebration, and then Saturday, well who knows what’ll happen on the weekends. But yea, so thank you for reading this short read, and I’ll catch you all again tomorrow. Good night!

[franklybasic]

25/11/16 ~ 30/1/17

BONJOUR MES AMIS ET MA FAMILLE!!!!!!! Or for me, it’s Bonsoir by now. So, I’ve been MIA since i’ve now realized the 24th of November, which I’ve been told by the people who read my blog that that’s a LONG TIME!!! Which, until I was told so, I didn’t know how many people actually read my blog, so I was completely surprised when a lot of people were mad that I wasn’t blogging. So, new year and new me, which means I’m actually going to be getting back into blogging again! (Which with this years schedule, will be easy for me to do with the free time I have in between classes, but I’ll get into that later). So the reason that I wasn’t blogging during the last month of November and the beginning of December is because not only did I have a lot of finals at that time, but I also had a lot of other exciting things happening at that time too. The big reason that i’ve been away for so long is that I actually went home for Christmas vacation, and I couldn’t be online blogging because I had to surprise my grand parents (HUGE SHOUT OUT TO THEM!!!! My Gramma for her perfect reaction that I will explain for later. And to my Poops for being my everything and giving me the most perfect present of all time: his reaction) (P.S. Poops, if you’re reading this: don’t you start crying!!). So with that being said, let me catch you ALL up on a lot of the things that have happened and are happening now.

So like I said, I went home for Christmas break. At the time, my grandparents had thought that I would be staying the whole entire break traveling around europe with my friends. And that was my intention, but because all of my friends were actually going home for the break, and I didn’t want to be by myself (and let’s face it, I really needed my family fix at that point with all of the stress that I had on me) I asked my parents in October if I could come home for the break, which they agreed. So I had emailing my grandparents, telling them I was “going” to this place and that place, all the while I was coming home. So because I had gotten in super late the day I came home, there was no way that I was going to surprise them that night, so I did it the next day, which went absolutely perfect. So my sister and her boyfriend had helped me through this: I had a card all drawn out, and I had my planned all ready since November (I was super excited), so we start going to the house, and I hide on the side of the garage where they can’t see me, while my sister and her boyfriend go in the house. I told my sister to make sure that my Gramma and my Poops were sitting in their chairs that are basically in the back of the living room, so then they wouldn’t see me coming into the living room when I had to. Then I had my sisters boyfriend distract them by talking to them and what not, while my sister “got a drink”. Now mind you, their house is set up so when you walk in the side door (which is the door we always use) you walk into the kitchen, the basement is downstairs from there, then you turn left, walk into the dining room, and then you take a right, and there’s the living room. It’s a very tiny home. So while my sister was “getting a drink” she let me in from the side of the garage. Now here comes the fun part, in this card that I had made for my Poops, it said something along the lines of “Dear Poops, I talked with Santa and we agreed that you’ve been a good boy all year round, so we thought you should get one of your christmas presents a few days early, are you ready?”. Now mind you, while he was reading this out loud and my sisters boyfriend was recording it to “send to me in France” I was hiding around in the dining room so then I could hear when to come in. And when he said “are you ready” my heart fluttered. I walked into the room, my Gramma screamed and covered her mouth, and my Poops was absolutely speechless crying. He couldn’t believe that I was actually standing in his living room, which a sign and bow in hair that said “Merry Christmas Poops, from Santa”. Everyone was crying (even my sister!). But it gets better. So in the video (which is posted to my facebook) you hear me talking with my Gramma about how she was wishing for me to go to Puerto Rico (which that reaction I will never get over because it was so funny), and how they kept checking up on my on my various social medias (again, another reason why I had to be MIA), but what you don’t hear is when I’m hugging my Poops, he tells me that he was so happy to see me, and that he couldn’t believe that I was actually home, and that he loved me so much. To see the man that I love and aspire so much so surprised and excited, and to have him hold me tighter than he has ever held me before in his precious arms was the greatest gift that anyone could ever give me. Throughout this whole post, I’ll talk about a lot of the things that i’ve done and what not, but to be honest, if anyone were to ever ask me what my favorite thing about this whole France experience is, is that I was able to do such a wonderful thing like that to the one person that means everything to me, and that I could be there with him for the break and Christmas, meant the world to me, and (sorry everyone) but no one can give me a greater gift than that, and now I have it on video forever. That was the single absolute greatest day of my life. I love you Poops, so very much for everything that you’ve given me. Thank you. BUT! That wasn’t the only person that I surprised while I was home. On Christmas day, what we usually do is it’s just my family (Me, Mom, Dad, sister and now boyfriend) open presents in the morning, and then in the afternoon, we go to my Grammas house and do presents there. Welp, I also didn’t tell my cousin I was coming home either (oh yea, my Gramma was kinda salty that I didn’t tell her, Sorry Gramma, you were too much of a liability, couldn’t risk it). Anyway, so when went to their house, their car was already in the driveway, which meant that they were already there. So what we did was they all went in first, and I was the last one in, and when I walked into that room, I swear that’s the hardest and tightest hug that we’ve ever given each other. She was so surprised that when I sat down in the chair, she wouldn’t let go of my leg for a good solid 30 minutes (which there’s actually a great picture of that I love so much). But she was so surprised, it was another great day. And that night, she had posted the sweetest thing I think she has ever posted, and it was the cutest thing and I am forever grateful to have such a cousin like that, that we’re basically just sisters. Also to be able to be home and spend it with the people that I care most about, that’s the thing that means a lot to me. Since no one knew I was coming home, they didn’t really get me a lot (that and the fact that they didn’t know I was even coming at home, but that didn’t stop my crazy Gramma from going out 3 days before christmas) but the thing is, that really wasn’t important that day. The fact that I was with all of my family whom some I haven’t seen since August, and some I haven’t seen since October, were all in one room sharing my favorite holiday, and that I was able to share that moment with them, that’s really the greatest present you can give me. So thank you to all of my family for that wonderful present, because honestly I think it was the greatest present of all time.

So, the second great part about the whole vacation home, was that I actually went to Puerto Rico (which I think I mentioned above). So my friend Briar and I actually went for a whole entire week visiting my friend (because she lives there) and spend the days on the beach, going out, and just being with each other. And honestly, I can’t wait to go back again (oh believe me, I’m going). It was amazing, I had real pina coladas, lots of beans and rice and plantains, and I was with two of my best friends making every moment last. And new years was an absolute treat! I was blessed into the new year by my friends aunt, I spent the changing year with her family (which whom i’m absolutely in love with) and then my pretty girls and I went out on the town and just partied into the new year. It was the greatest. Even though I came back with the WORST sunburn i’ve ever gotten in my whole life, it was just amazing. AND we went to Flamenco beach, rated number 6 in 2016 of worlds most beautiful beaches ever!!!! (which is where I got the burn). But, it was awesome. I really think I was born for the island life, but was just born in the wrong spot of the world.

So after I came from that, i surprised YET ANOTHER PERSON (kinda). I was going to surprise my best friend from college (who i still call my roommate even though we don’t live together because let’s face it, mentally, we still live in that crazy dorm room we shared last year) but seeing as i couldn’t hide the fact that I was home anymore (because I wanted to post things about my family) she ended up finding out, and we had planned a date to meet up together. So when we finally did, it was another great day of my life. I had picked her up from class (which was so funny, because she was used to my old car, so when I had my new one because my sister totaled the other one) she couldn’t find which one was mine, so when I honked a million times, she started laughing. So when we finally saw each other, we were just so excited. We talked about boys and stories and things we’ve done and what not, it was literally like I had never left her, like, we literally just caught up as if I had gone to class and hadn’t seen her all day. And that;s the best kind of friendship that anyone could ever ask for. The fact that we have been apart for so long, but I can still text and message her things from all the way over here, and she does the same to me, and the fact that we do keep in touch when we are so far apart in distance and time, is something that I am so thankful to have. She’s literally the best, and I had an absolute great time with her while I was back. That day felt endless, which was good, because I didn’t want it to end.

So after I had visited everyone, went to Puerto Rico, and rested at home, eventually I had to go back, which you would think would be the easier the second time around, but for some of the people that I had to say goodbye to, it wasn’t. When I said goodbye to my Gramma and especially my Poops, I start crying before I could even leave the room. He had told me that he loved me so much, and to stay safe and have the best time ever, and that he would be waiting for me when I got home to sing him a belated birthday with the cha cha cha’s and everything. But as for my parents, I didn’t cry when I left them, which I thought I should’ve because the first time I bawled my eyes out like a baby when I had to leave them, but this time with them, it was easier. Either way, I got back on the plane (a 9 hour exhausting flight) and I was back home to Rennes in 2 days (because my friend and I decided to spend a little time in Paris to sight see...where we ended up sleeping and trying to get rid of the jet lag).

So that night when I came home (rennes home) and I was in the car with my host mom, she was asking me questions. Now before I left, I would usually only be able to answer simple questions such as yes or no. But when she was asking me questions, I was able to give more than just a one word answer. Now, it wasn’t a whole essay worth, but it did come easier than it was when I left, and I was so surprised with myself that I felt really great about it. It was awesome. So that night I had dinner with my host family, and then I was going to see my friend who I saw in Puerto Rico, and my other friend whom I haven’t seen since i’ve left. So i’m waiting and waiting and waiting, and I see them both come up from the metro. My puerto rican friend comes up and gives me a gentle hug (cause she had seen me about two weeks before hand) and was asking how I was. Now my other friend, I knew he was ready to tackle me to the ground, so my friend had stepped out of the way, and this kid body slammed into me. I had missed him so much, because surprisingly we had really become very close over these past few months (as i have with a lot of these kids that I didn’t know would mean so much to me) so we hugged for so long, and then we celebrated that I was home, and I think you can just guess what we were doing. But anyway, it was just so nice to have the gang all back together, and basically this whole entire week we’ve just been partying and celebrating all of us being back together!

Now today was different, because today was actually the first day back of classes, which, the usual college kid in me wasn’t ready to get back to work and be constantly tired and sometimes have your eye twitch (cause that’s what happens when you’re under stress). But at the same time, I was excited. I knew I wanted to try harder this semester (not that I didn’t last one, mom and dad, i just said HARDER, not “actually try” this time. Big difference) and that I was going to be back in a routine and to improve on my french, especially because of the fact that i’ve gone up in a level as well. Last semester I was in A2-A and now I’m in B1-C, which means that it is going to be more of a challenge, but I think that will be good for me, because it will actually force me to try harder when it comes to speaking french. Which, brings me to my point about today: I actually spoke more french today with this one girl in my class, and it was awesome. Now again, it wasn’t a whole essay with MLA citations and such, but it was a lot more than I did last semester, which meant that I was improving on my french already. I’ve already made two friends already, was starting to speak more french, and I could understand my teachers (for the most part, some bits and pieces were a little lost) so i’m generally happy with my first day in school. There was one thing that did happen though, it was drama (that I would rather not talk about because i’m over it now) but I had called my mom (cause she’s my best friend and I literally tell her everything) so I was talking to her, and i told her “mom, I got so mad, i shopped” and she burst out laughing over the phone, which I knew would make her laugh, which is something in that moment that i had desperately needed to hear. I was so mad to the point where i was walking home (and usually I cut through the mall if it’s raining or cold out) i passed this store, and just without even thinking, I bought clothes. But the thing is, it really did help. It gave me the chance to just breathe, think about what I wanted and what I thought was cute, and to be honest, I got new clothes, so was any harm really done? But anyway, so I called my mom telling her this, and she laughed and talked to me afterwards which really made me feel better. People, let me tell you something, whether you love both or maybe you just have a parent that you’re closer with, or if you just even like one of your parents (which I love my mom and dad, let’s not get that confused here) until you’ve had to live in another country without access to them at all times, and you have to be dependent on the time to contact them, I don’t think you know what it’s like to miss your parents then. Because my family is everything, and my mom is my best friend, and the fact that it’s nearly impossible sometimes to talk to her because sometimes I wanna tell her something at 9am here, but it’s 3am over there, is really tough. But parents, (especially mine right now) you guys are absolute super heroes for everything that you’ve allowed for me to accomplish and do over here, and still supporting me when it’s the hardest right now. I really cannot thank you guys enough for all that you do, and I love you guys so much that these posts, would not be here had you guys not told me to follow my dreams and do whatever makes me happy (thank you Mr. Thomas for showing me the ways in french which influenced me to follow this path as well). So, just a huge shoutout and thanks for being my parents, and thank you to my mom who laughs at my dumb things when I need it most, like today.

So, that was really it for today. And really for my break as well, I mean, besides just watching Netflix, napping, and playing with my dog, those are really the highlights of my year so far, which, i’m not gonna lie, has been an amazing start so far! Thank you to all of my family and friends who’ve made that possible, without you guys, i’d probably just live under a rock and do nothing, so thank you for making me so interesting (and maybe a little weird). As for tomorrow, I don’t have any classes (because normally I would have Lab, but usually for the first week of classes they don’t do lab) so, I can actually sleep in. But, I am meeting with my friend tomorrow for lunch, and hopefully I don’t get mad and go on a shopping rampage again hahaha. Thank you again to all of my readers for sticking by even when I was MIA for practically two months, like I said, i have a good feeling about this year and the things that i’ll have to post about. Stay tuned for the many adventures of this Frenchie here, and I will see you all tomorrow.

With much love, Emma <3

[franklybasic]

15/11 ~ 24/11

Hey guys, sorry again i’ve been kind of MIA for a while, I just got to get back in the habit of blogging again. But if it makes you feel any better, you haven’t really missed anything to be honest. Before I get into any of the things that have happened to me over the past week and few days (again, sorry for the delay) but a HUGE SHOUT OUT TO MY GRAMMA AND MY MOM!!!!!! My Gramma’s birthday was on this past Tuesday, and my Moms is tomorrow. Sooooo, HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU WONDERFUL LADIES!!!!!!!!! But yea. So what have I been up to: well, to keep me sane instead of bat crap crazy, I decided to decorate my room for christmas... yes, you read that right. There are snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, a made a christmas tree on my closet door, there are wreathes around my mirror and on my door, aaaand I wrote in being letters “Merry Christmas” which is hung up on my wall. Soooo yea, some would say i’m “sick” but I like to call it Christmas spirit. Although I have been listening to Christmas music since like, the beginning of November (sorry mom)... so I may be a little sick there. But oh well, doesn’t matter. When I say “keep me sane” it’s because I am so beyond excited for my next vacation that’s coming up in 24 days!!!!! I think my friends and I are going to Germany first to spend Christmas there, and then going to Spain afterwards. I am beyond excited!!!! Don’t get me wrong, I love it here (and yes mom, as I think I said in my last post, and probably will say in every post now: IM LEARNING FRENCH) but I definitely need a break from it all just to get a breather and a new fresh start again. So, I can’t wait for that coming up. There is one thing that I do miss while I’m here though, and that’s snow. It’s already snowed back at home, and I didn’t realize how much I would miss snow until I realized that their winters are just RAIN!!! Freaking Rain!!!! I would rather trudge through a mountain of snow than walk in the pouring rain, because at least the snow is pretty!!!!! It hasn’t snowed here...once!!! But yea, I digress. So, today was Thanksgiving day! And honestly, at first when I heard that we were having thanksgiving with our group of kids from Naz, and our host families as well, I was a little bummed because I thought it was just going to be us American students, since it’s an American holiday. Not only that, but it was my first thanksgiving that i’ve ever been away from my family. But to be honest, it was a lot of fun, and really wasn’t that bad. Not only was I there with all of my friends who have now become more like a little bit of family to me (because trust me, when you spend about 3 months with the same people, you get to know them like family) but also the fact that there was actually good food too, like Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Apple Pie, Stuffing, and of course, french foods like Quiche, Cheese, and Wine. But it was all so nice, and it distracted me from the fact that I wasn’t at home, because in that moment, it felt like I was in a way. However, I did skype with my family tonight, and nothing has really changed, and it honestly felt like I was just at home with them as well.

So with that being said, I’d like to take this time to write down some of the things that i’m thankful for: First, I’m thankful for all of you who read my blog. I know that I can be a bit iffy here and there, but to those who continue to have read these long and sometimes boring posts, thank you for taking the time out of your day to read about mine.

Second, I’m thankful for all of the friends that I have and continue to make. I have had many ups and downs throughout this year, and honestly without some of their help, I really don’t know how I would get through some of the times that i’ve been in. Not only that, but for giving me my own little second family that I can depend on, and create numerous amounts of memories that I will cherish forever.

Thirdly, I am thankful for the life i’ve been given, because I’ve heard many tales of those who were unfortunate growing up and who may have even had it bad, and I can’t stress the amount of gratitude not only for the fact that I have been able to live the past 19 years of my life with a roof over my head, clothes on my back, some money in my pocket, and knowledge in my head, but also for the fact that I’ve been given some of the greatest experiences of a lifetime that not many others can say they’ve had as well.

Fourthly, I am thankful for God. While in France my connection with him has gotten far stronger than it ever was before, and like I said before, this year has been a tough one for myself and my family, so that has also been another reason to regain a stronger faith in him. But I know that he is always looking over me, and I also have him to thank for the life that I have been given as well.

Fifthly, I want to thank my grandparents. They mean the literal world to me. I talk about my Poops all the time, and what an inspiration and an influence he’s had on me growing up as a kid to even now, and I can’t thank them enough for their part in my life, but encouraging me to live freely and dream big, and helping me pursue in those dreams. For giving me laughs and memories that even when I need it most here, I can look back on and that’s what helps me get through the day, is that in May i’ll be able to have that all over again. So thank you guys for meaning so much to me, and loving and spoiling me as you do.

And finally, the biggest shout out goes to my parents. There aren’t even enough words to describe the amount of gratitude that I have for the two of you. Literally everything that you do for me, and a lot of the things and experiences in my life I have because of you, so thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

I am forever grateful for everything, and everyone that I have in my life, and there aren’t enough words to express that, but I did the very best I could, and know that it doesn’t go un-noticed. Thank you all again so much for reading, and happy Thanksgiving ( Also to anyone who is planning on going out shopping tomorrow, please be careful and wear armor....Black Friday is coming) ok, gotta go do homework now. BYE!

[franklybasic]

4/11-14/11

Wow, I’m so sorry that I haven’t blogged in practically forever!! I’ve been swept up by the days that I didn’t even realize how long it’s been since I’ve last blogged. But to make you all feel better, you really didn’t miss much, because I practically do the same thing each and every day. Essentially all i’ve been doing is going to school, every now and then I’ll go out with my friends to drink (that’s especially what we did this past weekend, since it was a three day weekend) and or just stay in and relax. Like I said: didn’t miss much. Although I will say two things.

First off: GIANT SHOUT OUT TO MY GRAMMA AND POOPS!!!!!! Not only do they fill my life with light every time I happen to skype them when they’re at my house, but also the fact that they actually sent me a halloween card!!!! Some of you may not realize why this is special to me, so I’ll explain: every year what they do is they get their three grandchildren (myself, my sister and my cousin) little gift bags with some candy and usually either a little toy or jewelry, and a card, and on Halloween, we always make an effort to go stop by their house (because they never really get any trick or treaters, so they always have donuts and candy for us). And this year, they still remembered to send me a card, which made my heart melt and miss them more. So since I know at least one of the two of them is reading this, thank you so much!!! Being here at first, I didn’t have homesickness, I was fine because everything was new and shiny and I could play and do whatever. But now that I’ve kind of gotten used to everything, and again, I’m practically doing the same thing each and every day, I miss my family more than ever. At Naz (Nazareth College, GO GOLDEN FLYERS!) yea I was away from my family, but if there was ever a time I had a problem or just wanted to go home, I could. Here, I can’t, and yes I know I can call my family, but it’s not always easy with the time zone difference, which makes it 10x harder. Especially now with the holidays coming up, it’s really putting a pit in my stomach. Also the fact that IT DOESN’T SNOW HERE!!! That just makes me mad to be honest. But no matter how much I miss home right now, I am enjoying my time (AND LEARNING FRENCH MOM!!!! before you even ask that). My friends help keep me distracted and I always find things to do eventually, but still, just saying. Ok, I’m done with my little inner sad party. 

The second thing I wanted to talk about was this weekend. While some of my friends went exploring (I didn’t want to because I just wanted to take it easy) one of my host sisters older sister came to stay for the weekend...with her 5 children. 4 Boys and a baby girl, and you can believe that it. Was. Always. Noisy!!! Which, on the weekends, is not fun. Weekends are sacred because those are days for sleeping in, so when I have to wake up to children screaming... I’m not the happiest camper there is. But they’re damn lucky that they’re cute though. One of the little boys, who was 7, knew how to say Hi and Goodbye (because at that age they start to learn other languages, such as english) so every time he would see me, he’d say Hello or Goodbye, and it was actually pretty cute. 

So those were really my two big things, other than that, the only new thing in my life is that I’ve decided to help my friend get into shape (she wanted it, I did not encourage this). So I was so proud of myself when I made her a whole workout sheet with different exercises and such, and we started that, which really makes me feel great because the fact that she’s thankful for something that I was gladly willing to do just made me feel like a better person, to be able to help someone achieve their goals. So yea, that’s about it. Only 5 weeks until my next big adventure, which I’m super excited for!!! I literally cannot wait and am counting down the days. But again, am enjoying each day here and am taking it one day at a time. But still!!! Ok, I have to go do homework now before dinner (but wait Emma, It’s like, 7 pm over there) yes, I know, we eat at around 8 or 8h30 over here. At first it sucks, but you get used to it. But anyway, hopefully I’ll try and stay on track with the blog, so just stay tuned for the next one. Again, thank you so much for sticking around, again, I apologize for being super duper late with this one, but hey, it’s better late than never right? BYE!!!!

[franklybasic]

2/11 & 3/11

Hey guys, what’s up! So basically here’s the run down for both yesterday and today.

Not a lot really happened yesterday, because I have no classes on Wednesdays. So basically I was able to relax and get myself together before I had to go back to classes the next day.

Today was actually really nice. Classes weren’t that bad, actually they went by really fast because which I was surprised about since I was dreading coming back to classes. And thank god tomorrow is Friday, and that this week was literally the shortest week ever!!! My one friend and I got together for coffee, because she’s usually always too sick to do things, so for her to get out of the house was a good thing. Not only that, but we really hadn’t hung out since before we both left for break (she went with two of our friends, and i went with two of our friends) so it was nice to be able to not only get to know how each of our vacations were, but also to catch up on each others lives and what the 411 is. It was just nice to have a kind of fast morning and slow afternoon to get myself back into routine. And tonight at dinner was nice too, because I honestly think it was the most i’ve talked while here. And they understood what I was saying (for the most part) and I understood what they were saying back (except for some spots here and there). But overall, reintegrating back into the french life hasn’t really been that hard for me, which I’m surprised at myself because I thought it was going to be a lot harder seeing as I had been away from it for about 10 days. But that’s all that’s happened today, nothing too special, just a nice non hectic day :)

Thanks again for reading, and I’ll see you all around tomorrow. BYE!

[franklybasic]

Ok, so i’m actually having trouble posting the photos. So, if you don’t happen to have a facebook where you can check out my photos, then hopefully if you click this link, and just go to the album called “Rome/’Budapest ‘16″ you will be able to see all of the magnificent pictures I took. Thank you guys for being so patient and reading as always, and I will get back to you tomorrow. BYE!!!

[franklybasic]

17/10 - 1/11

So, hey everyone! It’s been SUPER long since I posted, and that’s because I went on the journey of a lifetime!!!! I can’t even begin to describe what even happened and what I experienced! My two friends and I went to Rome for 5 days, and then Budapest for 4, and it was the most fun I have ever had in my whole entire life! The food, the sights, the people, the atmosphere, the weather, it was just all so amazing and I am incredibly lucky to be able to say that I went to these places now! Checked off the list! I’m going to try and upload all of the pictures right now, so you can also see just how magical of a journey it was. I’ll be doing my usual posts from now on until my next vacation which is actually in 50 days! So you’ll be able to hear about my progress in french and so on and what not. I’m sorry that I didn’t post while I was on vacation, but I wanted to be able to take as many pictures as possible and take it all in before I had to come back to France. But it was an amazing experience to say the least, but, just like whenever you travel, I am glad to be back home again